BecaJ

Just bumping this. Want to know what the UK brides on here are putting in their favour bags and where they're getting it from. I've seen some great ideas on the other posts but the items are impossible to get as the websites are american.x

I thought the same as you. I stumbled across it and thought it was really unique until I googled it! Even so, in my own experience I've never seen any one use this colour scheme, let alone at a wedding so I still feel its unique ..Finding red items isn't a problem, but I am finding it hard to find the right shade of teal. I think I may have to go more aqua blue like in the pictures as that is more readily available.x

The price for the upgrade I feel is quite steep when you think you're not getting anything extra, you're just being moved to a different location. I'd rather keep my $15 per head and take them out and buy $15 worth of alcohol for each of them.x

I don't know if my package is through my TA or with the hotel itself, but I had 3 to choose from and I chose the middle one, can't remember the name of it now. The only major difference between them was the reception. All of them came with the basics like flowers, cake, the ceremony etc etc. The 1st one didn't offer any reception, the middle one offered 15 head semi-private, and the 3rd one had 30 head private reception. Im only going to have about 16 or so guests so I went for the middle one. It's only $10 per head to add an extra person so I thought that worked out more cost effective for me. x

Haha I think all Mums are the same! Yeah, plus you'll get to implement more decoration etc. if its in a ballroom rather than on the beach. You'd get to have more flowers and use more of your theme.x

Very nice. The pictures are very understated, theres only a small splash of colour but it's really effective. I can't wait to start buying things to fit my colour scheme!x

ah okay, I thought so. The ballroom may be a better option for you then? Thinking about it I think Id prefer that myself. Knowing what my mum is like she'll be trying to make all our party whisper as soon as the sun goes down as not to disturb any one in their hotel rooms lol.x

In my wedding package that I booked it said "semi-private" reception, so presumably that'll be a section in one of the main restaurants but roped off. They couldn't close down a whole restaurant just for a wedding party I wouldn't have thought? Maybe the only fully private reception is the one on the beach? I've seen a few photos of that though and it looks so nice. I'd rather that myself actually. I'll have to ask the WC when s/he contacts me.x

£1150 isn't that bad if you were just paying for yourself, but it's when people have families and they're paying for their kids etc thats when it works out expensive. Well we've booked for the gazebo. It looks so nice on the photos and I thought we'll all be in the shade so won't be as uncomfortable because our ceremony is booked for 3pm so it will be hot. I wanted it later in the day but the TA told me that If I have it after 4pm theres an extra $400 charge!!! So not worth it. I have no idea about the reception. The package I chose included a meal for 15 guests, but I have no idea which restaurant it's in or anything. It looks like Im going to have more than 15 guests now so it'll be an extra $10 per head for any extra guests which isn't bad at all really. I suppose I'll find out more from the wedding coordinator a bit later on. How about you, have you booked anything?x

well we're paying £1,400 per person for 2 weeks, and some guests are going for one week and paying £1000. Thats for flights and the hotel. That was through Thomson, we found them to be the cheapest. That was flying out from Birmingham. Because we have guests coming from all corners we thought we'd meet in the middle and fly from Brum. I think for the symbolic you only have to be there for 1 day, but don't quote me because Im not entirely sure, I just think I remember reading it.x

Hi, welcome to the forum! Congratulations on booking! I recently booked and felt like a weight had been lifted. Now you've booked you can start to do all the fun stuff Im getting married across the road from you in the sister hotel Gran Porto Real in March 2011. Although Im hoping to upgrade to the Royal for my second week.x

Welcome to the forum and congratulations! I was like you before I booked, I felt like I didn't know where to start! First things first you've got pleanty of time. I get married in March 2011 and I only just booked a couple weeks ago. At first, like yourself I was torn with locations. I was torn between Mexico and Cuba, but I instantly noticed that with Mexico you get a better hotel for your money so I went with Mexico. Firstly you need to get online or go into a travel agents and get some brochures and basically just look through the resorts and pick out a few favourites. Im not sure about American travel agents but in England they have special wedding brochures (also downloadable) which list all the hotels which offer weddings so it helps narrow down your search straight away. A good place to get advice is here and Trip Advisor. It was the reviews on here and Trip Advisor that allowed me to book confidently. I chose a few favourite hotels based on what was important to me (rooms, wedding site, location) and other peoples experiences and reviews. I went into the travel agent and she helped me decide on one. It turned out we couldn't go with our first choice so Im glad I had back-ups in mind as we went for our second choice which Im now so pleased about, it must have been fate x

I think if it were me I'd have the bestman and the maid of honor waiting at the alter and I would like to walk down the asile with my fiance. With regards to the music, if it's something that you want to have then go for it. The number of guests shouldn't determine anything, it's still your big day. I'd definately still have music. I'd do everything the same if I had a hundred guests or if it was just me and my fiance.x

Hi, welcome to the forum! In my opinion the first thing that I would do is help her decide on a resort and then think about dates. Depending on what month, or even which day you go prices can vary (I saved £50 per person just by going 2 days later) And if you set a date and spend money sending out save the date cards and then you come to book and the date you want isn't available, then you've wasted all that money sending out the cards. Also the resorts have a minimum stay before you get married there (my resort is 4 days), also the hotel could have lots of weddings on the date you choose so might not be able to accomodate you even if you manage to get the right flights.x

Im also using these colours! I think I want the aqua blue to look a bit more teal though. I think the colours go so nice together.x

Im still losing weight so I didn't want to start dress shopping yet until Im down to my ideal size. Reading all the positive comments about having them altered has made me think I'll start looking for my dress now x

In my opinion there would be pro's and con's to this. It is a good idea as it would be good financially, but like many others have said I would never consider it because I would want it to be all about me and my fiance (as bad as that sounds!). With something as important as my wedding I would want everything my way and I would never back down, so if the others disagreed with my mine and my fiances decision on say the hotel, it would just come to blows. It's good that you've decided to go with it though and I hope it all works out for the better. Have you got together and started making any decisions yet?x

As I was saying in the newbie post, I've booked at the GPR for March 2011. Im trying to think of information I can give that would be useful for those thinking to book. Erm, I've noticed that most hotels require you to be there 3 working days before the wedding date, but GPR requires you (& your witnesses I think) to be there four working days before. So we're arriving on the 22nd March and I've just had an email through confirming the wedding date I chose, 26th March. Now that Im starting to get emails, Im getting asked for the details of witnesses & number of guests etc. It's starting to get a bit messy because although people have said they're coming only a few people have booked so far so everythings a bit up in the air at the moment which is getting annoying. Thats the only problem I've come across so far. With it being a DW you can't just go on peoples word.x

Hi, I agree. It's long siffing though hundreds of pages about another hotel to find snippets of info on the GPR. Im booked for the GPR for March 2011. My uncle went to a travel agents yesterday to book for the wedding and the lady in the shop used to have an office in the hotel. He said she was going on and on about how wonderful the hotel is and how much of a good choice I've made. So thats made me feel even more positive about it ..x

arr the venue is lovely. I'd love to do our AHR somewhere like that but if you know of Luton it's an absolute sh*t hole!!x

Thats a good idea actually. I think I'd probably have to do bigger pauses, or let more of the music play before we start coming down. But thanks for the idea, I'm going to do that x

The problem is, Im not having any bridesmaids, the only person we're having is a best man. I didn't want to have too many people with a 'role' because there is only about 10 or so people coming so didn't want there to be hardly any audience if that makes sense. I do have a 3 year old little boy coming and I wanted him to throw petals in the ailse in front of me, so we'd be going down the aisle with just a few seconds between us. hmm this is a tough one. I think the only thing I can do is hide somewhere until nearer the end of the track even though my guests will be bewildered, sitting there for 4 minutes wondering whats going on. x

You know what I completely forgot about a song for while guests are being seated. Im glad though because I had 3 songs I really wanted to use: Des'ree - kissing you Ray-J - Anytime Sade - By your side. I knew I wanted Des'ree for walking down the aisle, but I was torn with the other 2 which to have to first dance, but now that I've found another allocation for a track then I think I'll have Sade whilst every one is being seated.x

I can't decide between Ray J - Anytime, and Sade - By your side. I suppose it should be the Ray J tune cos when we were first dating we both had it on our ipods which we'd listen to on the coach going up and down the country to see eachother, so it reminds us of eachother and holds some meaning. But then the words in the Sade tune are beautiful.

Sorry if it's already been asked, I did have a search. But where Im getting married the 'aisle' is about 5 paces long in a gazebo so Im trying to think of how to time the music. Im having Des'ree - Kissing you. So what are you supposed to do. Play the whole 4 minutes of a song whilst you're hiding round the corner somewhere and appear 10 seconds before the track ends so you're at the top of the aisle when it finishes?? I would like to play the track to the end, I wouldn't want it to stop abruptly. Im not sure how this even works traditionally I can't remember what I've witnessed at other peoples weddings. I suppose you just wait outside the church doors? But obviously with a gazebo it's all open ... Hoping some one could shed some light.x